Iron Chef Morimoto Shares Sushi Roll RECIPE and His BEST Sushi Tips

On June 18th, 2023, prepare to celebrate one of the most popular foods among seafood lovers — sushi!

Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs

We’ve been celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Disney recently, but that doesn’t mean we’re done celebrating just yet! Disney’s Iron Chef Morimoto of Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs is sharing a savory, simple recipe that you can make for any occasion!

Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs is gearing up to highlight Sushi — it’s a Japanese delicacy! But luckily, you can celebrate at home, too. If you enjoy sushi and Japanese cuisine, Morimoto Asia and Iron Chef Morimoto have personally shared a recipe on how to make sushi, more specifically, the Eel Avocado Roll.

Morimoto Asia samplings

So let’s talk you through how to make this one!

Ingredients

4 oz. cooked short-grain *sushi rice, at room temperature
1 pc half-size nori seaweed sheet
2 oz. cut BBQ eel (unagi) warmed in an oven
1 oz. avocado cut into 3 slices
½ oz. julienne cucumber
1 tsp. white or black & white mixed sesame seeds
½ oz. sushi pickled ginger
1 tsp. wasabi

Directions

Place a nori sheet lengthwise on a cutting board. Wet your hands in cool water and take a handful of sushi rice. Place the rice in the center of the nori and use your fingers to spread the rice evenly over the nori and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the rice.

Then, turn the sheet of nori over so that the rice side is facing down. You’ll want to put the BBQ eel, cucumbers, and avocado in the middle of the nori sheet NOTE: You can also use any julienne or stick vegetables to substitute crab for a veggie roll!

Grab the bottom edge of the nori/rice sheet, and roll it into a tight cylinder. Then, use a sushi rolling mat and roll it forward while keeping gentle pressure on the mat. You’ll then want to push both ends of the roll to make it tight. Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 6-8 pieces. Lastly, plate with wasabi and sushi ginger to serve!

Sushi at Morimoto Asia

That’s not all Iron Chef Morimoto is willing to share. In the spirit of celebration, he’s passing along some great tips and must-knows for eating sushi.

Just because a certain style of sushi isn’t “authentic” doesn’t mean it’s not worth eating. Sushi in America is different from what you’ll find in Japan. Just like many other cultural elements, food travels from its birthplace to another part of the world. Then it evolves, changes, and eventually sets down.
Tradition actually dictates eating sushi with your hands vs. chopsticks but chopsticks are acceptable, too, according to Chef Morimoto.
Do not automatically dip your sushi in soy sauce. Taste the fish first as you want to experience the sushi’s flavor first.
Do not mix wasabi and soy sauce together into a murky soup mess. This is a no-no.
It takes many years to properly learn the craft of sushi-making. Traditionally, a sushi apprentice may study for nearly a decade, the first two years of which he or she is not even allowed to touch the fish.
Sushi was originally a street food and is often consumed in the way we eat tacos or pretzels from street vendors. That all changed after the giant Tokyo earthquake of the 1920s, which brought down the cost of real estate and led to sushi chefs opening storefronts.
Never eat sushi with cold rice. It will lose its sweetness, killing the layers of sushi. Goodbye grocery store sushi case!

That was quite the treat! We can’t wait to start honing our sushi-making skills. Will you be trying your hand at this sushi roll? Have you ever tried to make sushi before? We’ve got tons of recipes from Disney restaurants and chefs that we love to share with you. For the latest in Disney food news, stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog.

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